Tenth Grade Third Place Essay
KATIE RICE
Bishop McDevitt High School

Land of the Free

Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. had a vision to create a free America, not unlike our founding fathers. These men rebelled against British tyranny and founded a new country where individual freedoms were a priority. By creating the Constitution, they formed our country to be run as a democracy, in which everyone has the right to participate in a system of government. Was our country then a true democracy? This was just a step toward the goal. In the 1800s, the Civil War was fought to end slavery of African Americans. This was another movement toward democracy.
In the 1960’s, Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. believed America could be a place where all men and women live freely; free from discrimination of race, gender, religion, or sexual preference. His life was devoted to helping those less fortunate become an equal member in society, especially those of the African American race. He wanted citizens of our country to judge each other on their character and personality rather than the color of one’s skin.
In this day and age, where violence, hatred, and crime are publicized 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, we have to focus on the one person we can impact, ourselves. We must look at our daily lives and see how we treat others. We need to look at who we interact with, and why we associate with certain people we call friends. Do we open our lives to all kinds of people? Are we friends with others because of their character or their race? In order to create an America that Dr. King dreamed of, we must make a day-to-day effort to learn about people of different races and become their friends. Otherwise, we will never change nor will our country.
Then we must focus on children and the future. They are the ones that can make the ultimate difference and truly change the world. From kindergarten through twelfth grade, we must put students in an environment where they can learn about people of all backgrounds. We must create an ongoing diversity program that educates youth on all topics related to diversity. Then those children will have more respect for those who are different. They will become sensitive to others differences and gain a respect for his or her fellow man with the hope of applying this throughout their lives.
If we commit to make these changes in our own lives and work to establish an ongoing diversity program in the schools, we will come closer to making Dr. King’s dream a reality and creating a true democracy.